Fluid-meter.



J. W. LEDOUX.

lFLUID METER. l APPLICATION FILED JULY 21,-191Q. 1,083,689. Panted Jan. 6, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Jan. 6, 1914.

2 BHEETB-SHEBT 2. 4 8

J. W. LEDOUX.

FLUID METER.

APPLIUTION FILED JULY 21, 1910.

Ndnw comprises a casing l having therein a recep- T ignnr oFFioE. A

JOHN W. LEDOUX, 0F SWARTHMORE, YENNSYLVANA.

FLUD-METER.

y Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led July 21, 1910. Serial No. 572,980.

Patented Jan. 6, 1914.

To all .whom 'it may concern:

f Be it known that l, JoH'N W. LEDoUx, a

v the following is a specification.

My invention is a meter designed for differentiating pressures of iiuid and integratf l0A ing the differentials. Its leading object is to provide a simple construction having a high degree of accuracy.l i A further object is to confine the fluid pressure mechanism within a pressure chamber and thus prevent the escape of liquid.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a meter embodying my improvements, and Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a modified construction.

The invention, as illustrated in Fig. 1,

tacle 2 depending from a yoke 3 which is connected by a tension member 4 with a sheave 5, the latter being fixed on a shaft 6, journaled in the bearings 7. A sheave. 8 is iixed on the shaft'exterior to the casing and has a weight 9 connected therewith by a tension member 10 to provide a counterbalance for the load carried within the casing by the sheave 5. A tubular receptacle 11, closed at the top and open at the bottom, depends from the supporting member 12, into mercury in the receptacle 2 and has fixed thereon a displacing device 13. A conduit 14 has a normal section thereof connected by a duct 15, with the bottom -of the casing 1 andthe throat of itsVenturi section 14 connected by the duct 16 with the top of the inverted receptacle 11. The vessel 2 has a float 2 suspended from the bottom thereof bythe slender rod 2 and constantly immersed in a liquid (mercury) heavier than that to be measured, in the bottom of the casing l below the discharge Aend of the duct' 15. The buoyancy due to the displacement of this iioat provides an upward thrust acting to counterbalance the weight of the receptacle 2 and its contents, thus relieving the bearings of the shaft 6 and permitting the material reduction of the weight of the lcounterpoise 9. When there'is no iiow in the conduit 14, the pressures from fluid therein, communicated through the ducts 15 and 16 to the mercury surfaces in the receptacles 2 and 11, are equal. As the flow rises from zero to the maximum, the pressure communicated from the fluid in the casing 1 to the surface of the mercury in the receptacle 2 rises above that communicated through the receptacle 11 to the surface of the mercury therein. Consequently mercury is forced from t-he receptacle 2 into the receptacle l1 andthe receptacle 2 rises against the resistance opposed by the displacement of mercury by the device 13. The cross sections of the device 13 increase from the bottom toward the top thereof, so that the movement of the receptacle and the changes in the rate of flow in the conduit are related in a simple ratio. The movement of the receptacle 2 is communicated, through the intermediate parts, to the shaft 6 and the sheave 17 fixed thereon exterior to the casing. A tension member 18 connects the sheave- 17 with a shaft 19, revoluble and longitudinally movable in the bearings 20;

the shaft being revolved by a wheel 21 thereon movable in contact with the constantly rotating disk 22 between its center and periphery. The shaft actuates a register train 23. f

The improvements, as illustrated in Fig. 2, comprise a casing 43 containing a vessel 44 which depends from a yoke 45; the vessel having the bottom channel 44 and the displacing device 44 gradually decreasing in crosssectional area from its base to its apex. The yoke is suspended from a tension member 46 connected with a sheave 47 which is fixed on a shaft 48, the latter being journaled in bearings 49 and adapted for operating an integrating device exterior to the casing. A poise 50 is connected by the tension member 51 with the sheave which is counter-balanced thereby. A compound receptacle is supported in the casino' by hangers 52 and comprises the inner c amber 53 having a lower section 58 gradually increasing in cross-sectional area to a termination in the cylindrical rim or bottom nected by the high pressure Pitot tube .59

with the interior of the casing 43, eXte-rior to the chamber 53, and .by the lowpressure Pitot tube 60 with the top of the chamber 53. Liquid heavier than that owing in the conduit 58 vis placed in the vessel 44, whence it rises into the chamber 53. V'hen there is no .flow in the conduit, the heavy liquid in the vessel 44 and vchamber 53 will stand at the same level and the vessel will occupy its lowest position, the rim 53 acting as a mercury seal. 4As the flow in the conduitj rises, the lpressure communicated throughj the tube 59 becomes gradually greater than L that lcommunicated through the tube 60, the

heavier liquid is forced trom the vessel 44 upwardly into the chamber 53, and the veseel rises, the movement being communicated to the shaft 48 through the intermediatev mechanism. .53 is such that the rate of movement of the vessel and consequently of the integrating shaft 48 is regulated so that the latters movement is a simple proportion of the rate of lflow to be measured. The displacing de vice 44 may be dispensed with, as it is merely used .to reduce the amount ofthe heavier liquid required in the vessel'44 and in the section 53 and thereby reduce the weight and friction on the shaft 48. It will be understood that this form of my invention isequally applicable to the conduit with the Venturi section.

Having described my invention, I claim:

l. In a fiuid meter, a reciprocating vessel, a .stationary chamber having a bottom opening communicating therewith, said chamber having a wall varying in cross sectional area, and a liquid for sealing communication between said vessel and chamber, said liquid being displaced by said varying Iwall as 'said vessel rises.

2. In a fluid meter, a conduit, a casing, a balanced reciprocating receptacle in said casing, said receptacle containing a heavier liquid than that to be measured, a passage having an open bottom sealed by said heavier liquid,

copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner' Washington, D. C.

The curvature of the sectionmeans for communicating differential pressures fromsaid conduit kto said heavierllquid within and without said passage, and a stationary device increasing in cross sectional area from its bottom upwardly whereby said heavier liquid is displaced and the movement of said receptacle is regulated to a simple ratio to changes in the flow 1n said conduit.

3. In a Huid meter, va conduit for carrying -a liquid to be measured', a casing, a ve sel movable vertically in vsaid casing, a liqui heavier than that to be measured in'said vessel, a :stationary chamber insaid casing having anopen bottom adapted to be sealed by 'said liquid.

4. In a fluid meter, a casing, a-balanced vessel and Aa iioat connected therewith `and adapted to reciprocate in said casing, said vessel containing .a liquid heavier than that to be measured, a ystationary chamber `sealed by said liquid, -a conduit, means for zdif- .ferentiating the .pressures of fa liquid flowsame to said casing within and without said chamber, and a stationary chamber containing a liquid in which said float acts to counter-balance said vessel, smid first `named chamber having 'a wall increasing 1in .cross sectional area in an :upward fdirection so that the movement Iof said receptacle is regulated to a simple ratio to changes in the flow in said conduit. A

In witness w-'hereotl I have hereunto set my name this 19th day of July, 1910, in the presence oit the subscribing witnesses.

JQHN W. LEDOUX. Witnesses:

Jos. G. DENNY Jr., y ROBERT JAMES ARLY.

of Paten-tl,

ing in said conduit yand transmitting thel 

